New capability featuring video facial recognition and hundreds of special effects is now open to all developers
(March 15, 2017)

SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Agora.io (www.agora.io), the global leader in real-time communications, today announced the launch of Agora Virtual Lenses, a new software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to easily add face tracking and special effects to real-time video and live streaming apps. Features include more than 600 sets of 2D and 3D stickers as well as virtual lenses and filters aimed at augmenting the user experience and driving higher engagement.

Consumers today desire more ways to capture and share unique, in-the-moment content, and Agora Virtual Lenses gives developers the tools they need to participate in the burgeoning ecosystem of real-time social video experiences. The new SDK is open to all developers, meaning anyone can add hundreds of special effects to existing video platforms without a dedicated team of graphic engineers and designers.

"The way we communicate and share content is constantly evolving. As Snapchat's success has proven, virtual lenses have added a new layer to the way we interact with one another," says Tony Zhao, founder and CEO at Agora.io. "We want to democratize that experience by offering a simple SDK that's open to any developer who wants to add interactive features to existing platforms or channels."

Like other solutions from Agora.io, Virtual Lenses is designed to be highly scalable on any device or platform without compromising quality. When tested against Snapchat on various devices, Agora Virtual Lenses was found to have both lower CPU occupancy and less memory usage by up to 50 percent.

While Virtual Lenses is fully functional as a standalone solution, it is a welcome addition that complements Agora's core product, an all-in-one SDK for real-time communications. Agora's full-stack solution includes:

"There's a growing opportunity for app developers and social media platforms to capture new revenue streams for themselves and their users with live interactive experiences," continues Zhao. "Agora Virtual Lenses is a groundbreaking addition to our real-time communications suite."

Agora is now the most widely adopted real-time communications solution globally with over 30,000 registered developers. To date, Agora's technology has processed more than 7.5 billion minutes of communications across voice, video and interactive broadcasting on 500 million devices.

About Agora.ioPrivately held and founded in 2014, Agora.io is a Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS) provider delivering mobile-first real-time communications for brands and businesses globally. Agora's SDK is the most widely adopted SDK for real-time communications around the world, being installed on more than 500 million devices.